The overall objective of the proposed investigation is to develop methods of estimating the ventilation requirements for controlling the toxicity and explosion hazards resulting from volatile release from surface coatings. The method will explicitly account for the effects of important variables which affect the rate of volatile evolution. Specifically, an experimental method of measuring the rate of volatile evolution from surface coatings is to be developed. This method is then to be used to investigate the effects of air velocity over the surface, air temperature, substrate materials, and coating composition on rates of volatile evolution. Several industrially important coating materials are to be studied. The final objective is to utilize the theory of volatile loss from coatings to apply the experimental information to the estimation of volatile evolution rates and ventilation requirements in realistic work situations. The volatile evolution rate of samples tested is to be measured by monitoring the concentration of volatiles in the air in a recirculating enclosure using gas chromatography and infrared absorption.